WO2013037030A1

WO2013037030A1 - Vehicle light mounting system

Info

Publication number: WO2013037030A1
Application number: PCT/CA2011/001030
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marty VANDERHOEK
Original assignee: Essential Enterprises Ltd.
Priority date: 2011-09-15
Filing date: 2011-09-15
Publication date: 2013-03-21

Abstract

An adjustable light comprising a body for a light that can be rotated about itself so that the angular position of the bulb or other light source can be adjusted relative to the stem. The adjustable light comprises a casing, an adjustment ring, a light source, and a bezel. The adjustment ring fits within the casing and can be rotated within the casing. The bezel and light source are attached to the adjustment ring.

Description

TITLE

VEHICLE LIGHT MOUNTING SYSTEM

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to mounting systems for lights. More specifically, the invention relates to a system that allows a light to be mounted to a vehicle at any angle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lights are commonly mounted onto the exterior surface of vehicles to aid the visibility of the driver and to make the vehicle more visible to others. Conventional lights are mounted to the exterior surface of vehicles using screws, bolts, or other suitable fasteners. Typically, such lights comprise a body that houses a bulb or other light source and a stem that is used to attach or mount the light to the exterior surface of the vehicle. The stem is typically rigidly connected to the body such that the angular position of the body cannot be adjusted, limiting the functionality of such lights. The angular position of the body (and consequently, the bulb or light emitting device) would then depend on the angle of the portion of the exterior surface of the vehicle on which the stem is attached. Where the light has a directionality to it, such as a light with an illuminated arrow, if a certain angular position for the light is desired, it will be necessary to customize the body and/or the stem so that the desired angular position is achieved. There is therefore a need for a mechanism built into any light that is to be mounted onto the exterior surface of vehicles to allow the light to attain the necessary angular position, regardless of the angle of the mounting surface of the vehicle. The necessary angular position includes (a) the need for signal arrows to be pointing in the correct direction (e.g. left or right); (b) the need of shading flanges on the rim of the light to be in the correct position; and (c) the need for the beam of light to be pointed, forward or back, in line with the direction of the road. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The adjustable light according to the present invention comprises a body for a light emitting device, such as a bulb, that can be rotated about itself so that the angular position of the bulb or other light emitting device can be adjusted relative to the stem.

The adjustable light comprises a casing, an adjustment ring, a light source, and a bezel. The casing comprises a substantially circular opening and a plurality of tabs projecting towards the centre of the opening. The adjustment ring comprises a plurality of notches along a side circumferential face of the adjustment ring, with the notches extending from a rear face of the adjustment ring. In addition, the adjustment ring comprises one or more slots cut into the side circumferential face and running along the side circumferential face, and one or more ring holes located on a front face of the adjustment ring. The light source is located within the adjustment ring. The bezel comprises one or more bezel holes, wherein at least one of the bezel holes align with at least one of the ring holes.

In another embodiment, the plurality of notches extends from the rear face to the front face. In yet another embodiment, the plurality of notches extends from the rear fact to the one or more slots.

In still a further embodiment, the one or more slots comprises one slot and runs an entire length of the side circumferential face. In another embodiment, each of the plurality of notches corresponds in position to at least one of the plurality of tabs. The forward tab is shorter in length to the rear tab, and each of the notches is intermediate in length to the forward tab and the rear tab. The slot is of greater width than that of said forward tab. The forward tab sits within said slot. In a further embodiment, the light comprises a washer placed between the light source and the bezel. The casing comprises a stem for attachment to a surface of the vehicle.

In yet a further embodiment, the light further comprises one or more bezel fasteners for attaching the bezel to the adjustment ring. The bezel fasteners may be screws, which are screwed through the bezel holes and into the ring holes. The ring holes extend through from the front face to the rear face.

The foregoing was intended as a broad summary only and of only some of the aspects of the invention. It was not intended to define the limits or requirements of the invention. Other aspects of the invention will be inferred from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable light according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the adjustable light;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the adjustment ring, taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the casing, taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 depicts an example of the adjustable light adjusted at a particular angular orientation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the adjustable light 10 according to the invention comprises a casing 20, an adjustment ring 40, a light source housing 50 and a bezel 60. The casing 20 comprises a covering 21 and a stem 22. Preferably, the covering 21 is dome-shaped with a cylindrical ridge 30 and a substantially circular opening 25. Two or more sets of tabs 26 are located around the circumference of the cylindrical ridge 30 and protrude from the edge of the cylindrical ridge 30 towards the centre of the circular opening 25. In the preferred embodiment, there are three sets of tabs 26. Referring to Fig. 4, which shows a cross- sectional view of the casing 20 taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2, each set of tabs 26 preferably comprises a forward tab 27 and a rear tab 28, with the forward tab 27 spaced apart and in front of the rear tab 28. Furthermore, preferably, the rear tab 28 is longer than the front tab 27 (i.e. the rear tab 28 protrudes more towards the centre of the circular opening 25 than the forward tabs 27). The space between the circular opening 25 and the interior surface of the covering 21 defines an enclosure 29.

The stem 22 protrudes from the bottom of the covering 21 is used to connect the adjustable light 10 to a mounting bracket on the exterior surface of a vehicle. The stem 22 is preferably a screw that is attached to the covering 21 using one or more fasteners 23. Fasteners 23 may be bolts or any other suitable means of securing the stem 22 to the covering 21.

The adjustment ring 40 is a substantially circular, defining a front face 44, a rear face 45, and a side 46 (defining the side circumferential face of the adjustment ring 40). The adjustment ring is preferably made from a carbon fibre material. Two or more notches 41 are cut along the side 46 of the adjustment ring 40. The notches 41 preferably extend for the entirety of the side 46, extending perpendicularly from the front face 44 to the rear face 45. However, it is also possible for the notches 41 to only extend from the rear face 45 for a portion of the side 46. The adjustment ring 40 is intended to fit into the cylindrical ridge 30 and therefore, the position of the notches 41 correspond with the position of the tabs 26 on the covering 21. The relative dimensions of the forward tabs 27, rear tabs 28, and notches 41 are such that the depth of the notches 41 falls somewhere in between the lengths of the forward tabs 27 and rear tabs 28. In other words, the notches 41 are able to slide over the forward tabs 27 but not the rear tabs 28. Preferably, the number of notches 41 will correspond to the number of sets of tabs 26; however, it is also possible for the number of notches 41 to be less than the number of sets of tabs 26.

Referring to Fig. 3, which shows a cross-sectional view of the adjustment ring 40 taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2, a narrow slot 42 is cut along the side 46 of the adjustment ring 40. Preferably, the slot 42 extends along the entire circumference of the adjustment ring 40. In another embodiment, a number of slots 42 equal to the number of notches 41 may be present, with each of the slots 42 extending for a portion of the circumference of the adjustment ring 40 around each notch 41. As mentioned above, the notches 41 preferably extend across the entirety of the side 46, which would mean that the notches 41 would intercept the slot 42. However, in the case where the notches 41 only extend for a portion of the side 46, the notches 41 should at least extend from the rear face 45 to the slot 42. Preferably, the distance between the rear face 45 and the edge of the slot 42 closest to the rear face 45 is approximately the same as the distance between the forward tabs 27 and the rear 28. Furthermore, the width of the slot 42 is slightly greater than the width of the forward tabs 27. One or more holes 43 extend between the front face 44 and the rear face 45 of the adjustment ring 40. Preferably, the holes 43 are located on the adjustment ring 40 such that they do not fall within the section of the adjustment ring 40 where the slot 42 is cut along the side 46.

When the adjustment ring 40 is placed into the cylindrical ridge 30 with the notches 41 lined up with the tabs 26, the notches 41 will allow the adjustment ring 40 to slide over the forward tabs 27. However, because the rear tabs 28 are longer than the depth of the notches 41 , once the notches 41 reach the rear tabs 28, further movement of the adjustment ring 40 into the covering 21 is prevented. The geometry of the tabs 26 and the slot 42 is such that when the adjustment ring 40 can no longer move into the covering 21 , rotation of the adjustment ring 40 causes the forward tabs 27 to slide into the slot 42. Because the forward tabs 27 are now within the slot 42, the adjustment ring 40 cannot be removed from the casing 20 until the adjustment ring 40 is rotated such that the notches 41 again line up with tabs 26.

The light source housing 50 may comprise a bulb 51 with a face 52. The face 52 may depict an arrow or some other pattern. The light source housing 50 fits within the adjustment ring 40 and preferably rests upon an inner ridge 47 of the adjustment ring 40. The light source housing 50 may extend into the enclosure 29 of the casing 20. The inner ridge 47 is formed on the interior of the adjustment ring 40. One or more wires 54 may supply power to the bulb 51. The wires 54 may extend through the fasteners 23 and the stem 22 to connect to an external power source (not shown). Although the preferred embodiment depicts the bulb 51 , any other suitable light emitting device may be used with the light source housing 50.

The bezel 60 comprises a circular piece that fits over the adjustment ring 40. Preferably, the bezel 60 also fits over the light source housing 50. A washer 63 may be used between the contact points between the bezel 60 and the light source housing 50. The bezel 60 also comprises one or more bezel holes 61 on its face that line up with the holes 43 in the adjustment ring 40. These holes allow for the bezel 60 to be attached to the adjustment ring 40 using bezel fasteners 62. Preferably, the bezel fasteners 62 are screws, although other fastening mechanisms are also possible. These bezel fasteners 62 are able to extend through the bezel holes 61 in the bezel 60 and the holes 43 in the adjustment ring 40. In the case where the bezel fasteners 62 are screws, when the screws are tightened, the screws cause the edges of the adjustment ring 40 to constrict slightly, which in turn results in the edges of the slot 42 applying pressure onto the front tabs 27. This pressure prevents the adjustment ring 40 from any further rotation about the tabs 26. In addition, when the bezel fasteners 62 are in place, the light source housing 50 is held in place between the bezel 60 and the adjustment ring 40. A lip 64 may be present on a portion of the bezel 60 to help in orienting the light 10.

In another embodiment, the rear tabs 28 in the covering 21 may be absent. In this embodiment, the adjustment ring 40 can be moved into the covering 21 until the forward tabs 27 reach the slot 42, at which time, the adjustment ring 40 may be rotated, as described above for the preferred embodiment. One method of determining when the forward tabs 27 reach the slot 42 is to rely on the geometry of the covering 21. Because the cylindrical ridge 30 is of a limited depth, once the rear face 45 of the adjustment ring 40 reaches the end of the cylindrical ridge 30, further movement into the covering 21 is prevented, since that portion of the covering 21 is dome-shaped. Another method is when the bezel 60 is attached to the adjustment ring 40, the sides of the bezel 60 overhangs a portion of the side 46 of the adjustment ring 40. When the combined adjustment ring 40 and bezel 60 are attached to the covering 21 , the bezel 60 contacts the cylindrical ridge 30. The amount of the overhang is such that when the bezel 60 contacts the cylindrical ridge 30, the forward tabs 27 are at the depth of the slot 42.

The steps in adjusting and orienting the adjustable light 10 will now be described.

After the casing 20 has been mounted to the exterior surface of a vehicle using fasteners or other appropriate mounting mechanisms, the angular orientation of the adjustable light 10 can be adjusted as follows. The light source housing 50 is placed into the adjustment ring 40. The washer 63 is preferably placed on the light source housing 50, and the bezel is placed on the adjustment ring 40 and the light source housing 50. The bezel 60 is rotated until the bezel holes 61 line up with the holes 43. When they are lined up, the bezel fasteners 62 are partially tightened to attach the bezel 60 to the adjustment ring 40. Once the bezel has been attached onto the adjustment ring 40, the light source housing 50 is now held in place between the bezel 60 and the adjustment ring 40.

The combined adjustment ring 40, light source housing 50, and bezel 60 is then placed into the casing 20 by lining up the notches 41 with the tabs 26. When the notches 41 are lined up with the tabs 26, the combined adjustment ring 40, light source housing 50, and bezel 60 can be placed into the covering 21 until the rear tabs 28 contact the rear face 45. At this point, the forward tabs 27 are at the same depth as the slot 42. The angular orientation of the combined adjustment ring 40, light source housing 50, and bezel 60 can be adjusted as a whole by rotating the bezel 60 until the desired angular orientation is achieved. For example, the casing 20 may be mounted to the exterior surface of a vehicle In order to fix the bezel 60 in place, the bezel fasteners 62 are fully tightened.

In order to adjust the angular orientation of the light 10, the bezel fasteners 62 can be partially loosened. The combined adjustment ring 40, light source housing 50, and bezel 60 can then be rotated until the new desired angular orientation is reached, at which time, the bezel fasteners 62 can be tightened again to fix the bezel 60 in place.

In order to replace the light source housing 50, the combined adjustment ring 40, light source housing 50, and bezel 60 can first be removed by loosening the bezel fasteners 62 and rotating the combined adjustment ring 40, light source housing 50, and bezel 60 until the notches 41 line up with the tabs 26. When they are aligned, the combined adjustment ring 40, light source housing 50, and bezel 60 can be removed from the covering 21. By then fully loosening the bezel fasteners 62, the bezel 60 can be removed from the adjustment ring 40, and the light source housing 50 can then be removed.

Fig. 5 shows an example of an adjustable light 10. In the example, the face 52 of the light source housing 50 depicts an arrow 70. The stem 22 is at an angle and may be mounted onto the exterior surface of a vehicle at an angle. As a result, the covering 20 will be at an angle as well. However, it may be desired that the bezel 60 and the arrow 70 be oriented such that the lip 64 of the bezel 60 is at the top of the adjustable light 10 and the arrow 70 points to the right. It will therefore be necessary to adjust the light 10 as described above. In particular, the bezel fasteners 62 can be partially loosened. The combined adjustment ring 40, light source housing 50, and bezel 60 can then be rotated until the angular orientation shown in Fig. 5 is achieved. Then, the bezel fasteners 62 can be tightened again to fix the bezel 60 in place.

Although in the preferred embodiment the light 10 is mounted on the surface on a vehicle, the light 10 can also be used with other applications, such as being mounted on the surface of other equipment and/or buildings. The adjustability of the light 10 reduces the need to have a large number of lamps to accommodate different angular orientations.

Although the preferred embodiment and alternative embodiments have been described herein, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not intended to be restricted thereby, such scope instead being discerned from a combination of such disclosure and the claims that follow.

Claims

CLAIMS claimed:

A light for a vehicle, comprising: a casing comprising a substantially circular opening and a plurality of tabs projecting towards the centre of said substantially circular opening; an adjustment ring comprising: a plurality of notches along a side circumferential face of said adjustment ring, said notches extending from a rear face of said adjustment ring; one or more slots cut into said side circumferential face and running along said side circumferential face; and one or more ring holes located on a front face of said adjustment ring; a light source, said light source located within said adjustment ring; and a bezel comprising one or more bezel holes, wherein at least one of said bezel holes align with at least one of said ring holes.

The light of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of notches extends from said rear face to said front face.

The light of claim 1, wherein said plurality of notches extends from said rear face to said one or more slots.

The light of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said one or more slots comprises one slot and runs an entire length of said side circumferential face.

5. The light of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of tabs comprises a forward tab and a rear tab.

6. The light of claim 5, wherein each of said plurality of notches corresponds in position to at least one of said plurality of tabs.

7. The light of claim 6, wherein said forward tab is shorter in length to said rear tab.

8. The light of claim 7, wherein each of said notches is intermediate in length to said forward tab and said rear tab.

9. The light of claim 8, wherein said slot is of greater width than that of said forward tab.

10. The light of claim 1, further comprising a washer placed between said light source and said bezel.

1 1. The light of claim 1 , wherein said casing comprises a stem for attachment to a surface of said vehicle.

12. The light any one of claims 1 to 1 1 , further comprising one or more bezel fasteners for attaching said bezel to said adjustment ring.

13. The light of claim 12, wherein said bezel fasteners are screws.

14. The light of claim 13, wherein said screws are screwed through said bezel holes and into said ring holes.

15. The light of claim 14, wherein said ring holes extend through from said front face to said rear face.

16. The light of claim 9, wherein said forward tab sits within said one or more slots.

17. The light of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein said adjustment ring is made of a carbon fibre material.

18. A method for adjusting an angular orientation of a light, said method comprising the steps of: placing a light source into an adjustment ring; placing a bezel on top of said adjustment ring and said light source; attaching said bezel onto said adjustment ring by partially tightening one or more screws through one or more bezel holes in said bezel and into one or more ring holes in said adjustment ring; placing said adjustment ring into a substantially circular opening in a casing by aligning a plurality of notches on a side circumferential face of said adjustment ring with a plurality of tabs on said casing projecting towards the centre of said substantially circular opening; rotating said adjustment ring about said tabs through a slot cut into said side circumferential face; and fixing said adjustment ring in place by tightening said one or more screws.